River Style Chili

This chili means business. Four pounds of stewing beef and a full pound of minced bacon form the base, with dried mushrooms, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and enough red pepper flakes and hot sauce to warm you from the inside out. It simmers for up to two and a half hours until the liquid reduces into a thick, spoonable stew.

The bacon goes in first, rendering its fat over high heat for ten minutes. That bacon fat becomes the cooking medium for the beef, onions, and garlic. It’s a layer of smoky richness you won’t get from oil. The dried mushrooms are an unexpected addition that adds an earthy, umami depth most chili recipes lack.

Two tablespoons of red pepper flakes plus two tablespoons of hot sauce makes this genuinely spicy. This isn’t a chili that pretends to have heat. Adjust down if you want, but as written, it’ll clear your sinuses.

Pro Tips

• Brown the stewing beef in batches. Four pounds of meat crowded into a pan steams instead of sears, and you need that fond on the bottom of the pot for flavor.
• The dried mushrooms rehydrate during the long simmer and add meaty texture alongside the beef. No need to soak them separately.
• Stir the chili every 20 to 30 minutes during the simmer. The bottom scorches easily once the liquid starts reducing.
• This feeds a crowd and freezes beautifully for up to three months.

Variations

• Dial back the heat by halving the red pepper flakes and hot sauce for a milder version.
• Add a can of dark beer along with the water for a maltier, deeper flavor.
• Stir in a square of dark chocolate in the last 15 minutes for a smoky, mole-like richness.